ABOUT US

Meet The Dentists
Dr. Jean Creasey

Dr. Jean Creasey

Dr. Jean Creasey received her Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree from the University of California San Francisco in 2001. Prior to that she worked for many years as a Registered Dental Hygienist  and from that background brings a strong focus on prevention to her dental practice. She is a recognized speaker, nationally and internationally on the topic of "Caries (decay) Management by Risk Assessment" or CAMBRA. She is currently an Asst. Professor at the University of Pacific-Dugoni School of Dentistry in the Advanced Education General Dentistry program.


Dr. Creasey has been involved in several local and international volunteer dental health projects and travels regularly to rural Uganda where she is helping to establish a dental clinic, working with the Kellermann Foundation. She is the past President of the Butte Sierra District Dental Society, past Chair of the California Dental Association Foundation and is a fellow with the American College of Dentists. Locally, she serves on the Nevada County Dental Health Advisory Council, SNMH Foundation Board of Directors and is an enthusiastic supporter and proponent of Barbara Schmitt Millar Triathlon here in Nevada County.


Her outside interests include painting, writing and cooking with her family.

Dr. Craig Creasey

Dr. Craig Creasey

Dr. Craig Creasey received his Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree from  the UCSF School of Dentistry in 1984 after completing his undergraduate   studies at the  University of California Irvine where he also enjoyed doing  research in a biochemistry lab. His volunteer activities include  participating in the annual " Give Kids a Smile " and California Care Force  events locally, and working in Uganda with the Kellermann Foundation  along with his wife Dr. Jean Creasey. 


He started his practice joining Dr. Richard DicKard at 216 S. Pine St. in 1984. In his practice, he has developed a strong focus on endodontic (root canal) procedures as well as running his own "in house" dental arts laboratory creating high quality, custom ceramic crowns and veneers, utilizing the  E4D CAD System, as well as gold restorations.


In his spare time, Dr. Creasey enjoys woodworking, cycling, hiking, and

cooking. Together Drs. Craig and Jean Creasey have raised three children,

now all grown, here in the  Nevada County   community.

Dr. Justin M. Pfaffinger

Dr. Justin Pfaffinger

Dr. Justin M. Pfaffinger was raised in Nevada County and graduated from Nevada Union High School in 2001. He received his Bachelors in Mathematics in 2005 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo while also completing the many dental school prerequisites. Dr. Pfaffinger then went on to earn his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the UCLA School of Dentistry in 2009. He was awarded honors for his excellent skills in restorative dentistry and graduated at the top of his class in clinical practice.

Returning to Nevada City in 2009, Dr. Pfaffinger joined the group practice of Drs. Creasey and DicKard, where he has since expanded their scope of services to include oral conscious sedation for children and implant surgery. He is a general practitioner in the true sense of the term, treating patients of all ages for the majority of their dental needs, from fillings, crowns, and dentures to root canals, implants and other oral surgeries.

Over the past 10 years, Dr. Pfaffinger has organized many dental outreach events in our community, including free Kindergarten dental screenings and Give Kids a Smile. In 2009 he created the children’s dental clinic at Western Sierra Medical Clinic, providing care for the communities’ underserved population, and served patients there for over 10 years.

Aside from dentistry, Dr. Pfaffinger enjoys life with his wife, Kayla, and their three children, here in Nevada County. When he isn’t at his children’s school or sports events, you can probably find him on the local mountain bike trails, ski slopes, or camping. 
Dr. Jean Creasey

Dr. Samantha DeRidder

Dr. Samantha DeRidder grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, and coming from a small town, appreciates our strong sense of community, plentiful recreation and looks forward to our milder winters here in Nevada County.

 She was attracted to dentistry very early on, when as a young girl she regularly visited her mother, a career dental assistant, at her place of work. Dr. DeRidder attended Cardinal Stritch University on a full academic scholarship. There, she majored in Spanish, minored in Psychology and pursued her love of dentistry  by working all four years as a part time dental assistant in a busy community clinic.  

Dr. DeRidder went on to earn her Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree at Marquette University School of Dentistry and was elected to student leadership all four years. She has a heart for volunteer dentistry and participated in several outreach opportunities, including two to rural Jamaica.

Driven by her love of clinical dentistry and desire to provide the best care possible to her patients, she completed a rigorous, year-long residency program in Advanced General Dentistry at the University of Utah School of Dentistry. She loves all aspects of general dentistry and shares our passion for a prevention focused practice.

When not practicing dentistry, Dr.DeRidder enjoys being outside in nature, whether its hiking in the mountains, kayaking on a lake, or relaxing by the river. She also loves exploring local restaurants, visiting Farmer’s Markets and listening to live music.

Community Involvement

The Creaseys and Pfaffingers know that it is the community that supports them and their families through their dental practice, and therefore it is their pleasure to give back to that same community. The doctors, hygienists, and office staff give back by volunteering at various local dental outreach events throughout the year. The Creaseys and Pfaffingers also support many local organizations monetarily.

In the news...

Give Kids A Smile Day

Back To School

africa-ic Created with Sketch.

Kellerman Foundation

Dental Health

Share by: